


Close to You

by angellwings



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Confessions, F/M, Friendship/Love, Honesty, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Short One Shot, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28992459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angellwings/pseuds/angellwings
Summary: Sylvie isn’t quite comfortable with what’s unfolding around her. She can’t explain it. No one’s done anything or said anything to offend her, but there’s something unsettling about the way the group of men in the back corner of the bar are staring at her.And if she’s learned anything from her years in the field, it’s trust her instincts.
Relationships: Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey
Comments: 21
Kudos: 108





	Close to You

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** This was for a prompt game I started on tumblr. I decided that any prompt reply 1200 words or longer would be posted as a one shot! Hope you like it! The prompt is: “I didn’t know where else to go.”
> 
> Happy reading!
> 
> xoxo

******

_“You could call it serious, yeah we were in love,_

_I was kinda thinking maybe she was the one._

_Yeah, she's wonderful, she beautiful,_

_But baby, I need you to know,_

_She ain't even close to you.”_

_-“Close” by John King_

******

Sylvie isn’t quite comfortable with what’s unfolding around her. She can’t explain it. No one’s done anything or said anything to offend her, but there’s something unsettling about the way the group of men in the back corner of the bar are staring at her.

And if she’s learned anything from her years in the field, it’s trust her instincts.

They’re out celebrating Severide’s birthday. Whatever weirdness that’s happening between Kelly and Stella is forgotten for now, but after they stayed in last year she does find it suspicious that her friends opted for a group outing instead. It feels as if they’re using the public setting to avoid the tension between them, but it’s none of her business. Besides, it’s not as if she isn’t doing her fair share of ignoring tonight too.

She’s been avoiding Matt all night long. Which has been difficult since it’s just the four of them at one table. They’re not at Molly’s for once. This place is nicer. They had a fancy dinner at Swift and Sons, which Sylvie could never refuse, and then stopped in the more sophisticated bar down the street for after dinner drinks.

Stella and Severide have disappeared, likely into the bathroom to make out, and Matt is at the bar getting another drink.

Meanwhile, she’s at their table being blatantly leered at by a group of men in perfectly tailored suits and extremely expensive watches. They keep looking at her and whispering. It’s making her nervous and self-conscious. 

She hadn’t had much opportunity to dress up lately so on Stella’s reassurance she’d gone all out tonight. Her dress was backless, sure, but it had a high neckline and long sleeves. She felt like it was the perfect mix of daring and demure. 

But now she’s questioning the wisdom of her decision. Maybe she should have worn something less...eye catching. Her skin crawls as their eyes continue to drag over her. She gulps down a large sip of wine, praying she’s being paranoid and the wine will dull her imagination. But then one of the men stands from the table with his gaze intently focused on her.

 _Oh no_.

Her eyes frantically search for a quick escape, sighing when they land on Matt.

She stands, grabs her purse, and winds her way through the tables as quick as she can. Settling herself onto the bar stool next to Matt, she loops her arm through his and leans in to speak softly.

“Please just go with it. There was a rich creep coming over to talk to me and I didn’t know where else to go.”

His shell shocked expression instantly sharpens, neck craning around the room. “Who was it?”

“It doesn’t matter—“

“Sylvie, if someone was bothering you I need to know.”

“They were just...staring but it felt invasive. Back corner table to your left,” she murmurs, pointedly not glancing over at them.

“Ah, a group of trust fund pricks, makes sense,” Matt scoffs, edging closer to her and tossing a protective glare at the men. “Assholes.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been out and this dressed up,” she says with a tired sigh. “I think I got a little too excited. Should have gone with something more conservative.”

“Because of those jackasses?” Matt asks, brow furrowing in disapproval. “It’s not yours or anyone else’s fault that they can’t be respectful. You should wear what you want. Their bad behavior has nothing to do with you.”

His old fashioned is set down in front of him and he takes a moment to focus on the glass instead of her, fumbling over his words slightly. “Besides, uh, I think you look really great — stunning, even.” He clears his throat as he cheeks color and she thinks he looks adorably shy. “Dark blue is always a good color on you.”

“Thank you, Matt,” she says while an affectionate grin slides over her face.

He nods and takes a considerable gulp of his drink before replying. “You’re welcome.”

“You look good too,” she assures him, leaning back to get another good look at his trousers, light blue dress shirt, and suit jacket. “The shirt brings out your eyes.”

The only thing missing from his look is a tie, but if she’s honest she finds his open unbuttoned collar much more appealing anyway. It allows her to get a peek at his chest, which is not at all an unappealing sight. Not that she should be thinking such things. Ugh. She’s supposed to be getting over him. Not...whatever this is.

Their eyes connect and then appraise each other again. His eyes are darkening and she can feel her entire body flushing. He truly does look a bit dapper tonight. It reminds her of Joe and Chloe’s wedding and how every time she’d danced it had been with _him_.

She knows now that she hadn’t imagined the coiling build up of tension between them and that his hand constantly finding its way to the small of her back _had_ meant something. At the time, she told herself she was being silly but now with all that’s transpired since she knows he felt the heady heat of attraction too.

The same heat she’s feeling right now, in fact.

He leans further into her space, tilting his face toward hers. “I really want to kiss you right now.” He gulps. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you again for _weeks_ actually. I haven’t been able to think about anything else, if I’m honest.”

“We shouldn’t,” Sylvie replies, biting her bottom lip. “Nothing’s changed since our last talk.”

“You don’t know that,” he insists, in a hoarse gentle voice. “You’ve been too busy avoiding me to ask.”

She arches her neck back to get a long look at his entire face. Her eyes search his expression for any hint of what he means, but aside from the longing and the lust in his stare she doesn’t find a single clue.

“What do you mean? Should I ask? Because if I do and your answer is the same—“

“I think we got our wires crossed. I think you asked one question and I, in all my stupidity, heard a different one,” Matt supplies, cutting her off. “You think my answer meant I’m still in love with Gabby but in my mind I said something else. In my mind, I was trying to tell you that I will always love Gabby and care for her as I would any other friend. It’s complicated because she and I went through a lot together and I can’t forget that relationship ever happened. I learned so much from the mistakes she and I made—If I forget it then history will keep repeating itself and that’s the last thing I want. Especially with you.”

“I wasn’t asking you to forget her,” Sylvie clarifies. It never would have occurred to her that he might think that. “I just don’t want to be with someone who will always be wishing that I’m someone else. I want someone who wants me as much as I want them. I deserve that. What I _don’t_ deserve is to be left in the dust should Gabby ever decide to come back.”

“That’s never going to happen,” Matt replies confidently.

“She came back last year, Matt. It’s possible—“

“No, not Gabby coming back. I’m sure that will happen. I wasn’t talking about her.”

“I don’t understand.”

He huffs and chuckles dryly, sounding affectionately exasperated. “I would never leave you in the dust, Sylvie. I need you too much to walk away. You have this idea that you’re somehow second best, and maybe that’s on me, but I promise you that you aren’t. You stand completely alone in my mind. So much so that when you’re around it’s hard to notice anyone else exists. If anything, no one else comes close to _you_.”

Her eyes start watering at his words. He’s managed to say everything she ever wanted to hear. But even in her wildest dreams it hadn’t sounded that beautiful or felt quite so satisfying.

She leans back in, pressing her forehead to his. “You should definitely kiss me now.”

“Are you sure?” He asks, a hungry expression overtaking his face. “There’s no going back this time. If you ask me for space I’m going to push through it. I’m going to fight for you.”

A thrill runs up her spine at those words. He said them with such determination. God, he truly does want her, doesn’t he?

“I’m sure, Matt,” she answers, reaching up to run her hands through his hair. “Kiss me.”

And then he does. Somehow, it’s even more perfect than the first time. Her fear and hesitation are gone and she can pour her entire being into him. All her walls are down. She tried to move on from Matt Casey, but she should have known she never would. No one else makes her feel secure enough to drop all of her walls. Only Matt.

From now on, there’s _only_ Matt.


End file.
